The Delta State High Court sitting in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state, has commenced the trial of Uchenna Nicholas Obiagwu, a driver accused of murdering his employer, Bishop Clarence Chinedu Okonkwo, popularly known as Clarence James.
Bishop Okonkwo, a Pentecostal cleric and founder of End-Reconciliation Ministry, Asaba, was allegedly murdered at his residence in Ibusa, near Asaba, on May 12, 2026.
At the commencement of proceedings on Thursday, the prosecution team, led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, alongside Mrs Juliet Akpomiemie, Deputy Director; Ifeanyi Uduaghan, Principal State Counsel; and Miss Faith Beluchukwu, Pupil State Counsel, called its first witness, Pastor Tippa Wealth, to testify.
ALSO READ: Alleged forgery, money laundering: Court shifts Woherem’s trial to March 18
In his testimony, Pastor Wealth told the court, presided over by Honourable Justice Hilda Akpotohwo, that he owned the agency through which the defendant, Uchenna Nicholas Obiagwu, was employed as a driver.
He further testified that barely three weeks after the defendant commenced work, he received a telephone call informing him that Obiagwu had allegedly killed his employer, Bishop Okonkwo.
The prosecution alleged that the bishop was attacked and beaten to death with a pestle inside his residence before the defendant reportedly fled with his Toyota Land Cruiser SUV and mobile phones.
The defendant and his brother were subsequently arrested in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, while allegedly attempting to sell the stolen vehicle for ₦10 million, according to reports surrounding the incident.
The defendant reportedly claimed during police interrogation that armed kidnappers had forced him to cooperate in the attack, blindfolded him and gained access to the premises.
The late Bishop Okonkwo, who also served as Deputy Chairman of the Ibusa Indigenous Ministers Association, was widely known within the Christian community.
The case has attracted public attention, with members of the Ibusa Christian community calling for justice over the killing.
The matter was adjourned until November 26, 2026, for continuation of the hearing, with the prosecution expected to call four additional witnesses when proceedings resume.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV